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My first flat tire...a question about flat repair...

Yesterday after riding for just under 5 years....I got my first flat tire (Many thanks to whoever left a thumbtack on the Capital Crescent Trail just before the Maryland line...although, at least it made it easy to find and repair the hole)

First off, I had about ten people pass me while I was stopped, and around 8 of them asked if I had everything I needed....two of them even stopped to check on me...A very big THANK YOU to those that asked or stopped...even those that didn't at least looked me over to see me working on the tire and seeing that I was OK...despite what one would think in 2011, courtesy and care is somewhat alive and well out there somewhere...

Secondly, the patched tire (Which worked surprisingly well, considering I had never done it before) got me home, but since I've never done it before, is it worth getting a new tube, or can I ride on this for awhile? I don't really know if these things are designed for long-term use, or if it's just a temporary measure...thanks all!

I've had mixed success with patched tubes (so far I haven't used glueless patches). Some seem to work well for months, others just until the next ride. It seems that if I can find what caused the hole (like with your thumbtack), I have a better chance that the tube will be ok for a while. It's when I don't find anything sharp in the tire or wheel, that I seem to start having unexplained failure to hold air or unexplained holes.

I don't bother patching tubes any more; I keep a supply of replacements on hand. In the past though, I found that if the repair didn't leak right away, it would probably hold up until the next puncture. A lot of my repairs leaked right away, so I gave that up.

SerialCarpins had a thumbtack in his tire, so that was easy to find. A tip for when it's not so obvious: When you take the tire off, mark both the tire and tube with a piece of chalk before separating them, so you can see where the tube was in the tire. You can find the leak in the tube by putting a little air in it. Then you can find the corresponding spot in the tire to look for the cause. When it's a little piece of glass, it helps to know where to look.

When you take the tire off, mark both the tire and tube with a piece of chalk before separating them, so you can see where the tube was in the tire.

Another option is to always line the brand name of the tire up with the valve stem of the tube when you put them on the wheel. That way you don't have to worry about carrying chalk around if you aren't changing it at home!

I've been riding around on a patch for over a year... I keep *meaning* to replace it. Anyhow, I prefer to patch since I can sometimes do so without removing chainguard, shifter cable, coaster brake arm and wheel nuts. I forgot my pump today, though, so I'll probably get a flat later.

Another option is to always line the brand name of the tire up with the valve stem of the tube when you put them on the wheel. That way you don't have to worry about carrying chalk around if you aren't changing it at home!

Plus, I'm told, it looks more "pro."

Good tip. You would need to be careful not to flip the tube over in the process of fixing the flat -- although if you lose track of which way the tube went, you would still have only two small areas of tire to check.